Guard hopes long deployments wont deter recruits

NEW LONDON  The Connecticut National Guard wants to know if longer and more frequent deployments will cause fewer people to re-enlist or make it more difficult to recruit new members.

Associated Press

Published
12:00 am EDT, Monday, October 13, 2003

Military reservists are being used to bolster a shrinking active military force. Theyre being called up more often and are being deployed for longer periods since the end of the Cold War.

"With everything going on, we will watch that very closely when the units return," Maj. John Whitford, spokesman for the Connecticut National Guard, told The Day of New London.

Irene Lane of Lebanon is used to her husband, Sgt. 1st Class John W. Lane Jr., being away  he has served in the Army 20 years, first on active duty and then in the National Guard. But she says his current deployment to Iraq, which started in March and isnt expected to end until spring, is more difficult than others.

U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, R-2, has signed onto a bill that would require the Army to increase the size of its active duty forces. Simmons, who commanded an Army Reserve unit in New Haven for five years, said reservists who cant keep up with the military pace because of challenging civilian jobs or family obligations end up leaving the Army.

"This does not mean theyre not patriotic, because they are," Simmons said. "But they signed up to be strength in reserve, not as an active component. And the way theyre being used is more and more like they are the active component."

If a downturn does occur in people joining the Connecticut National Guard, Whitford said the Guard will increase its recruiting.

But new recruits cant always replace experienced soldiers who leave.

"Someone coming in the door, without prior service, theres a time period where that person has to become qualified in their military occupational specialty and be certified for deployment," Whitford said.

"That takes some time, and there is some cost as well."

"If we were starting over, I would not want him to re-enlist," she said. "And at this point I cant think of anyone who would. Im used to him traveling a lot, but this is too much even for me. Just too long at one time."

Some families say deployments, which can last as long as a year, are too disruptive to home life.

"We havent seen that as yet, but we will be monitoring the situation."